Court records say Aiden Bevins may have died in 2024, long before investigators found his remains.

ABERDEEN, Wash. — An Aberdeen man has pleaded not guilty to homicide by abuse and related charges after police said his 4-year-old son’s remains were found buried beneath a family property in May.

Jacob Scott Bevins, 36, remains in the Grays Harbor County Jail as prosecutors pursue charges tied to the death of Aiden Scott Bevins. The case moved from a missing-child question to a homicide prosecution after detectives said they learned Aiden had not been seen for more than a year and that the father’s account of the boy living with relatives out of state was not true.

The investigation began May 12, when Aberdeen police responded to a complaint about Bevins’ 6-year-old daughter. Officers found that the girl was with her mother and treated that report as a custody matter, not a criminal case. But the follow-up led detectives to ask about Aiden. Relatives told police they had not seen the boy in a long time. When officers questioned Bevins, he said Aiden was staying with family in Idaho, according to court records summarized by local news outlets.

Detectives checked that claim and found a sharp conflict. The relative in Idaho told investigators that Aiden had never lived there and that the relative had never met him. Police returned to the Aberdeen property on May 15 with the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team. Court documents say Bevins became visibly upset when confronted with the new information. Asked whether Aiden was safe, he shook his head no, then told detectives the child had died and that he had buried him beneath the house.

Investigators recovered Aiden’s remains inside a plastic tote wrapped in a garbage bag, according to probable cause records cited in court reporting. Police had first booked Bevins on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, unlawful disposal of human remains and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant. Prosecutors later filed formal charges of homicide by abuse, first-degree assault of a child, failure to notify the coroner of human remains and making a false statement to a public servant.

The charging decision followed a postmortem examination at the Thurston County Coroner’s Office. Prosecutors said the preliminary findings raised concerns that Aiden had suffered extensive injuries and possible ongoing abuse before his death. Bevins had told investigators the child struck his head while running to the bathroom and later died, according to court documents. Authorities later alleged the medical findings did not support a simple accidental death. The exact evidence expected at trial has not yet been tested before a jury.

Charging documents place Aiden’s death sometime between March 24, 2024, and Aug. 1, 2024. That timeline means the boy may have been dead for many months before police received the May 2026 report that first drew them to questions about Bevins’ children. Aiden’s biological mother told authorities she had not seen him for more than a year while she was incarcerated and believed he was living with relatives in Idaho, according to accounts of the court file.

The case has also drawn attention because Aiden had spent time in foster care before returning to his biological family. Former foster parent Magali Lopez told a Seattle television station that she had raised concerns with state child welfare officials and other authorities about Aiden’s biological parents. “I can’t explain to you the anger that I feel,” Lopez said. “Everyone failed him.” Her statement became one of the clearest public signs of family frustration as the criminal case began.

State Rep. Jim Walsh, whose district includes Aberdeen, has linked Aiden’s death to wider concerns about Washington’s child welfare laws. Walsh said he feared the case reflected a system that places too much weight on keeping children with biological parents, even when relatives or caregivers raise concerns. Those claims have not been resolved in court. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families has not publicly laid out a complete case history in the criminal record available through news reports.

At Bevins’ first court appearance, a judge granted a prosecutor’s request for a 72-hour hold while charges were reviewed. After formal charges were filed, a judge increased bail from $150,000 to $750,000, according to local court coverage. Bevins appeared by video from jail during an early hearing and later entered a not guilty plea. The case now moves through Grays Harbor County Superior Court, where prosecutors must prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

Neighbors near the Aberdeen home described unease after police searched the property. Tammy Pratt, who lives in a connected duplex, told a Seattle television station her daughter noticed disturbed dirt between a tree and the house. “I have grandkids that come here and play too,” Pratt said. “I won’t let them go back there.” Investigators have not said publicly whether neighbors saw or heard anything before Aiden’s remains were found.

The allegations have left unanswered questions about when Aiden was last seen by a person outside the home, what records state agencies kept, and whether any warning signs were missed. Prosecutors have pointed to a broad window for the child’s death, and police have said the investigation remains active. Bevins has not been convicted of any crime in the case, and his not guilty plea keeps the matter on track for further hearings.

The case stands with Bevins jailed on $750,000 bail and facing four formal charges in Grays Harbor County Superior Court. The next major milestone is the court’s scheduling of pretrial motions, evidence deadlines and any trial date.

Author note: Last updated July 8, 2026.